Overview
This case study showcases how Semantic Labs partnered with Keap to drive incremental conversions through paid search, addressing common concerns about campaign overlap and organic traffic cannibalization head-on.
Semantic Labs is a performance-based growth partner to 300+ B2B SaaS companies, helping brands scale customer acquisition through data-driven strategies. With more than 10 years of experience refining our customer acquisition platform, we identify the signals that matter: search intent, patterns, and insights, and we turn them into measurable growth.
Keap is a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation platform designed specifically to help small businesses thrive. When they wanted to expand their paid search efforts, they turned to us to build a new acquisition channel.
Scaling Growth without Cannibalization
Keap already operated a sophisticated, large-scale search marketing program. The challenge wasn’t launching campaigns—it was finding true incremental growth.
- Cannibalization: Would additional campaigns inflate CPCs or take credit for existing conversions?
- Lead Quality: Could a partner deliver paying customers, not just leads?
- Predictable CAC: Could costs remain fixed and reliable?
The core question: How do we unlock new growth without disrupting what’s already working?
A Performance-First SEM Engine
Semantic Labs introduced a fundamentally different model:
- No upfront cost
- No retainers or ad spend from Keap
- We fund and operate campaigns ourselves
- We only earn when customers convert
Using PartnerStack as the backbone for tracking, attribution, and automated recurring commissions, we created a system with complete alignment and transparency.
Results to Date
- $2.5M in Revenue Driven
- 1,000+ New Paying Customers Delivered
- 4,000+ Total Signups (Leads)
- 25% Lead-to-Customer Conversion Rate, proving the high quality of the traffic we generate.
How We Drive Incremental Growth Instead of competing with internal campaigns, we focus on untapped, high-intent demand:
- Identify overlooked keyword segments
- Capture users outside existing campaign coverage
- Deploy direct-linked SEM campaigns
- Continuously test using our own capital
Because our incentives are fully aligned with performance, we optimize for revenue and customers, not just clicks.
The Result: Predictable, Scalable Growth
Since 2020, we have become a reliable acquisition channel for Keap.
Key outcomes:
- Consistent delivery of net-new customers
- No disruption to internal campaigns
- Fully predictable, performance-based CAC
- Expansion into additional brands, including Thryv
Why It Works
Traditional agencies are paid to spend. We are paid to perform. That difference drives better optimization decisions, faster testing cycles, and true accountability.
Powered by PartnerStack
PartnerStack enables the entire model by handling complex commission structures, global payouts, and real-time attribution, allowing both of our teams to operate with full transparency and aligned incentives.
A Simple, Risk-Free Launch Process
- Join the affiliate program: Seamless integration via PartnerStack
- Launch a 2-week test: We deploy capital and prove incremental results
- Scale what works: Expand campaigns that deliver net-new revenue
Final Thought Even for a mature, high-performing marketing organization like Keap, there was still significant untapped demand. The difference wasn’t more budget—it was a better model.
